KEPOKT ON THE ASTEROIDEA. 577 



outer part of the ray there are probably not more than one or two of these pairs, or even 

 single spines, present. 



The papular areas, which contain numerous papulos, form regular longitudinal lines 

 along the ray, except amongst the irregularly disposed plates, and there is frequently 

 placed near their margin a large, coarse, subtriangular, forficiform pedicellaria, very blunt 

 and broad at the apex, having on its margin four or five coarse interlocking den- 

 ticles. 



The armature of the adambulacral plates consists of two rather short, slightly com- 

 pressed, slightly tapering, obtusely pointed, equal spinelets, which radiate apart and form 

 two regular rows. At the base of the innermost, and placed quite within the furrow, are 

 a number of small forficiform pedicellarise. 



The madreporiform body is small and rather nearer the margin than the centre of the 

 disk. Its periphery is surrounded by a close circlet of sixteen or more short equal 

 spinelets with vesicles at their base, and a few small forcipiform pedicellarise. 



The ambulacral tube-feet are quadriserially arranged, and have a deeply invaginated 

 terminal fleshy disk. 



Colour in alcohol, a bleached yellowish white. 



Locality. — Station 304. South of Port Otway, Gulf of Peiias. December 31, 1875. 

 Lat. 46° 53' 15" S., long. 75° 12' 0" W. Depth 45 fathoms. Green sand. Surface tem- 

 perature 57°"2 Fahr. 



Remarks. — This species appears to be nearly allied to Asterias spectabilis, Philippi, 

 sp., with which I at first supposed it to be identical. After a careful study of the series 

 of specimens collected by the Challenger, however, this seems to be impossible, so far as 

 I can judge from Dr. Philippi's description alone, for no figures are given, and I have not 

 been able to find any authenticated examples of his species in European collections. 



Notwithstanding the many points in which the description 1 of Asterias spectabilis 

 coincides with the present form, it is stated that the plates of the third series of abactinal 

 plates from the median series bear only single spines, whereas in the Challenger examples 

 above described three or more are always present. The pedicellaria? in Asterias spec- 

 tabilis are stated to be very numerous, and apparently smaller than in the allied species, 

 neither of which remarks seem to me applicable to Asterias (Cosmasterias) tomidata; 

 furthermore, no mention is made of the comparatively numerous and extraordinarily large 

 forficiform pedicellariae, which could not possibly have escaped the eye of such a careful 

 observer as Dr. Philippi had they been present in his form. On these grounds I consider 

 the species to be distinct. It is not without great reluctance that I have added a new 

 specific name to the already long list of Chilian forms which have a place in literature, 

 but any of which I have failed to recognise definitely amongst the numerous series 

 collected in that region that I have examined. 



1 Archivf. Naturgescli., 1870, Jahrg. xxxvi., Ed. i. p. 271. 



ZOOL. CHALL. EXP. — PART LI. — 1888.) 73 



